Lead Buyer Specialist

Title: Lead Buyer Specialist

Agency: VCCS-Shared Services Center

Location: Botetourt - 023

FLSA: Exempt

Hiring Range: $53,000 - $63,000

Full Time or Part Time: Full Time

Additional Detail

Job Description:

Innovation allows an organization to make the most of every dollar spent.  At Virginia’s Community Colleges System (VCCS), our compelling mission, our ambitious strategic plan and our fiscal realities challenge us to ensure that community college resources are maximized for the priority of student success and credential completion.  

Nestled between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains, the VCCS Shared Services Center is centrally located to all 23 colleges in the VCCS, 43 miles from Blacksburg, VA, and a four hour drive from Washington, D.C.  A vital part of the ever-growing Roanoke Valley, Daleville is a haven for tourists and residents alike.  Within an hour’s drive are the breathtaking Smith Mountain Lake, world-famous Appalachian Trail, and many other outdoor activities, including golfing, biking, and hiking.  The thriving Historic City Market in downtown Roanoke and the Daleville Town Center and Performance Pavilion also host farmers markets, community and cultural events, and festivals throughout the year.

The VCCS Shared Services Center is an innovation strategy to advance the priority of student success, reduce the administrative burden on individual colleges, consolidate transaction-based functions, create economies of scale and improve backroom process efficiency. This work allows the VCCS to better focus resources on the students – helping them start their educational journeys, persist, and succeed.

Under the direction of the Purchasing Supervisor the Lead Buyer Specialist will guide a team of about 10 Buyer Specialists serving an assigned grouping of colleges arranged region while performing transactional purchases for a wide variety of goods and services for the 23 VCCS colleges, the System Office and the Shared Services Center.

The position:

• Receives demand signals and purchases goods and services up to the small purchase threshold
• Ensures that all purchases are performed accurately, timely and in accordance with applicable state laws & policies and VCCS policies
• Employs best business practices to continuously improve performance, compliance, efficiency and effectiveness
• Acts as a lead for respective regions to assign workload and act as an elevation point

• execute simple to moderately complex purchases of supplies, equipment, and services
• proficiently use automated procurement systems (e-procurement) to review and process requisitions through to a purchase order and acknowledgment
• analyze quotes/bids and make appropriate purchasing decisions
• fully manage procurement process for assignments from the need through the purchase order, including order status and invoicing discrepancies
• exercise sound judgment, solve problems, and attend to detail in a fast pace, team oriented and customer service-oriented environment
• provide exceptional customer service to internal and external customers in a professional manner
• complete assignments following procedures & processes within the policies & laws
• express thoughts clearly both verbally and in writing
• maintain confidentiality
• work effectively with a wide range of constituencies
• use the computer hardware and software required, including proficiency in MS Office
• to lead, assign and act as an elevation point of daily operational tasks to maximize efficiency on their respective teams
• to communicate effectively with leadership regarding progress and support in their respective areas

• Minimal purchasing experience such as reviewing requisitions, soliciting bids, and vendor outreach
• Multiple years of customer service or team-oriented work experience or a combination
• Current Virginia Contracting Associate (VCA) certification or ability to obtain within one year of hire; see https://vip.dgs.virginia.gov/ for more information on VCA certification

• Experience guiding and directing small groups
• Procurement experience in higher education and/or state government
• Working knowledge of Commonwealth of Virginia & VCCS procurement policies (VPPA, APSPM, etc.)
• Working knowledge of eVA (state procurement system) and AIS/PeopleSoft
• Knowledge of governmental procurement principles and ability to follow procurement policy and standard operating procedures
• Professional procurement certification(s): Virginia Contracting Officer (VCO), Certified Public Procurement Buyer (CPPB), Certified E-Procurement Professional (CEPP) or other nationally recognized procurement certification